Aleksandr and Nataliya Yeremeyev, a Seattle couple, have filed a $10 million lawsuit against Salem Health and Dr. Stefani Sorensen. The lawsuit alleges that hospital staff in Oregon told the parents to drive the body of their nearly 9-month-old son, Michael, four hours back to Seattle in their private car after his sudden death in the emergency room.
Michael had been born with Down syndrome and had spent the first six months of his life at Seattle Children's Hospital. The family had been visiting Salem, Oregon, for a religious retreat when Michael developed rapid, shallow breathing and was rushed to the emergency room at Salem Health Hospital, where he died.
According to the complaint, when the parents asked about arranging respectful transport to send Michael's body back home to Seattle, hospital staff allegedly pushed back on the suggestion to contact a local funeral home, citing cost as a reason. Instead, the family was pressured to bring the body with them in their own car, which they did after feeling they had no other option.
Aleksandr drove about four hours from Salem to Seattle with his son's body laid across the backseat, while his wife and other children followed in a separate car. The father suffered severe emotional distress during the trip, fearing police stops, car crashes, and the deterioration of his child's body. When he arrived at a Seattle funeral home, he had to clean bodily fluids that leaked onto the seat during the trip.
The family's attorney, Anna Bruckenhoefer, said that the parents had repeatedly asked the hospital for assistance in helping them with the next steps, but were left feeling rushed and without guidance. Bruckenhoefer stated that the hospital should have had procedures in place to assist the family during their time of grief. The lawsuit names Salem Health, Salem Health Hospitals & Clinics, Salem Emergency Physicians Service, and Sorensen as defendants, alleging direct negligence, vicarious liability, and a breach of the heightened duty of care owed to bereaved parents.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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